Baka
by Scythe Zero
Summary: "Silence is the virtue of a fool." A lesson learned far too late, a chance lost, and a heart left mourning. (Shounen-ai, 1x2)


Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and it's characters do not belong to me.  
  
Author's Note: Another literature assignment, I've been meaning to post this for a while and never  
got around to it.  
  
Warning: Shounen-ai, sad  
  
  
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Bright violet, the colour of his eyes flashed in incomprehensible patterns. A fleeting  
glimpse of a chestnut braid, just barely out of reach. And a voice........always a voice.  
"It's over!!!! " Duo, the one and only, flings his arms around the shoulders of Heero  
Yuy. "Heero, man! Did ya hear me? It's over! The war is over, Heero!"  
***********************************************************************************************  
  
"Heero? Hey, come on, this isn't like you. Wake up already." Duo Maxwell shook the  
sleeping form of his roommate, closest friend and fellow former Gundam pilot.  
Groggily Heero opened his eyes, to be treated to the sight of Duo - who was very close  
to him - with his long hair flowing free. For once the customary braid did not grace his form.   
Shaking his head to dispel the sudden urge to run his fingers through that hair, Heero put his  
patented death-glare in place.  
The violet-eyed wonder seemed completely unfazed, if anything Duo looked a little  
worried. "Heero? Are you okay? It's not like you to sleep so late."  
"Baka! I'm fine," he muttered, completely ignoring the flutter which had gone through  
him when he heard the tint of worry in Duo's voice.  
"Okay, if you say so." Almost instantaneously the trademark Maxwell grin appeared on  
his face. "Quatre said I could help to make supper! Isn't that great?" As he spoke, he moved  
towards his side of the room, aiming for the hairbrush and elastics. "Wufei seemed kinda scared  
when Quatre gave me permission, I can't understand why for the world of me."  
Heero had to fight to keep from grinning at that comment. It was a wonder that Quatre  
had the guts to let Duo "cook." The last time that happened.....  
"You did almost burn down the kitchen."  
Duo pouted slightly, "It's not my fault if the directions were in Fahrenheit and the stove  
uses Celsius!"  
  
//Kami, he is absolutely gorgeous.// The thought came unabridged, as a fully dressed Heero  
watched Duo attempt to put up his hair. Several other words, such as "cute" and "sexy" also  
crossed his mind. He even went so far as to open his mouth to say something along those lines  
before he realized what he was thinking.  
//Baka, he's not like you, stop thinking like that. He's with Hilde, remember? Just because  
he's funny, and good looking, and makes you happy just by smiling, and you can't get through  
the day without seeing him is no reason to go overboard.//  
Duo was far too aware of Heero's scrutiny. Moments like often made the American  
wonder if maybe, just maybe, Heero felt the same as he did? A trickle of excitement, and hope  
ran through him, before being washed out by cold logic.  
//Forget it. Heero is head over heals for Miss Relena I'm-so-perfect Peacecraft. Besides,  
this is your best friend, you really want to ruin that?//  
  
Lightly cursing, Duo dropped yet another elastic into the garbage can. Heero's presence  
and ever-watchful cobalt eyes distracted him to no end. He jumped slightly as Heero reached out  
to take the hair brush and the newest elastic. "Baka, let me do it for you."  
Heero gloried in the feeling of Duo's hair as he brushed it. He had been fighting these  
feelings for a while now. This morning was the first time he had given in. It feels so right  
though.  
Duo's voice, an alluring tenor, brought Heero out of his reverie, "Heero? What does  
'baka' mean? I mean, not that it's important or anything. It's just that you say it a lot, especially  
when you are talking to me and I was wondering..." Bitting his lower lip Duo trailed off.  
A slight grin - which Duo noted - sneaked its way onto Heero's normally impassive face.   
"Baka. Idiot. Fool."  
"Oh."  
There was silence as Heero finished braiding Duo's hair.  
"So you think I'm an idiot?" The question caught Heero off guard and more alarmingly  
made him feel bad. "No, not an idiot," he answered a little too quickly.  
//A fool then. Huh. Well you're right there pal. I am a fool. I'm a fool for falling in love  
with you.//  
  
*************  
  
Six years later:  
  
Heero Yuy felt as if his soul was being ripped apart. The one person he loved - yes,  
loved, he could finally admit that to himself - was getting married. And by some cruel twist of  
fate he had ended up standing as the best man.  
Time was a blur as the reality of the situation kicked in. //This is my last chance to tell him  
how I feel. But how can I? It'd ruin his happiness, and he'd probably hate me.//  
  
  
"If anyone here knows why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."  
  
  
Silence.  
  
  
//What am I doing? Why am I here, getting married to Hilde?// Duo's thoughts drowned  
out the minister as he droned on and on. Vaguely he heard himself responding when he should,  
but his heart and his mind weren't really there. His eyes kept straying to Heero.  
  
Heero, the man he loved.  
Heero, who had been his constant companion since they had met during the war.  
Heero, who on occasion gave Duo reason to believe he felt the same way.  
Heero, who hadn't said a word when the opportunity came up.  
  
That made up Duo's mind. //Hilde's a great girl, she loves me and I admire and care for  
her. And she's a great friend. That's enough.//  
He didn't believe himself.  
  
  
  
"Do you, Duo Maxwell, take Hilde Schbeiker to be your lawfully wedded wife. To have and to  
hold, to love and to cherish........................................"  
  
  
  
  
"I do."  
  
*************  
  
  
Many, many years later:  
  
Duo sat, unmoving, in the same place where he had been when he'd gotten the call. His  
extremely long hair was undone and getting in his eyes. The vibrance which characterized him  
was no where to be seen. Not even when Hilde died had he been so forlorn. One thought kept  
repeating in his mind.  
  
//I never told him, and now he's dead.//  
  
The doorbell cut in on his thoughts. He was half tempted to just ignore it. But no, it  
might be his daughter. Groaning, he got up and opened the door.  
An aged Relena Peacecraft, with red puffy eyes, stood in the doorway holding an  
envelope. There was none of the old animosity, they were on common grounds. They both had  
loved Heero Yuy. Surprisingly, she and Heero had never married, Duo had often wondered why.  
"Here," she said holding out the envelope. "He wrote this to you." With that she left.  
Confused, Duo slowly opened it, wondering what was written. There on the paper in  
Heero's neat hand writing was four words.  
  
I was the baka.  
  
Tears welled up in Duo's eyes.  
  
"No, Heero. We both were." 


End file.
